The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-07-09
GUATEMALAN TRAVEL.

The little town of Livingston, on the
Gulf of Amatique, has existed for more
than three centuries, under various
names on high bluff, at the mouth of
the Rio Dulce, where large commercial
city should be; and with all these centu-
ries upon it there is nothing but mud
wall and palm thatch camp to this day.
Utterly isolated from the rest of the re-
public except by waterway, it occupies
a site large enough for and well suited to
an extensive town. On high bluff more
than fifty feet above the water, Living
ston is famed by the land breeze from
the mountains all the early part of
each day, while the descending sun an
nounces the fresher breezes from the
Gulf. Springs of excellent water break
from the base OF the limestone in many
places, and aqueducts could easily bring
even better water from the mountain
Atlantic coast is there more agreeable
climate taken the year through. Seldom
does the thermometer mark a higher
temperature than eighty-six degrees, and
all distinctions of summer and winter dis
appear. A perpetual June reigns, and
while Jupiter Pluvius washes air and TO-
liage and earth to the extent Of more
than eighty inches of rainfall each year,
he considerably does most of this neces-
sary work at night, and seldom wells the
sun for twenty -four hours at time.
In the absence of commerce there is
but little travelling, and the stranger
finds great difficulty in obtaining infor-
nation about roads, even from the jefes
OF the departments through which the
roads pass. 1t is, of course, not peculiar
to Guatemala to find ignorance of local
geography and complete inability to
Judge of distances, but the Guatemalans
have happy way of indicating the con-
dition of a road in the expressions, ga big
league" "a little league" and on rivers
they usually reckon distances by Uaeltas
or bends. While the North American
must have express trains and considers
every way station an attack on his COM
fort, his neighbor in Central America
hires men enough to carry his luggage
and each man can carry from five to six
a7Tobas ian orrobo is twenty-five pounds)
and mounting his horse or mule, plods
leisurely along up hill and down dale,
his bearers generally keeping up with
him. There is very little wear and tear in
such journey, one is never in hurry,
and it is hurry that exhausts one, not
reasonable work. For myself it was
restful kind of travel. My saddle-bags
contained the needtul clothes, my blan-
ket was rolled behind the saddle, my
rubber poncho with map and note book
in front. One man carried coffee-pot
and supply of coffee and sugar, my
hammock and Photographic outfit,
another, a supply of photo plates, my
sons hammock, and various articles
gathered on the way. We rode along
chatting and enjoying everything. even
the rain that ran into our boots, and
when we wished to make a photograph,
a whistle brought our naozo to our side
and in less than fifteen minutes the cam
era was unpacked (and everything must
be rainproof), two exposures made, and
we were again IN the saddle. Much
more convenient than an express train !
Then, where no one travels journey is
an exploration Scribner'S Magazine.